Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this
Realm and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the
Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, is not going to live
forever.

Since ascending to the throne in 1952, the monarch has seen 12
Prime Ministers serve Britain, and lived through another 12 US
Presidents. She's now 88. At some point — not for many years yet,
we hope — Queen Elizabeth II's reign will come to an end.

But what happens then?

For at least 12 days — between her passing, the funeral and
beyond — Britain will grind to a halt. It'll cost the British
economy billions in lost earnings. And both the funeral and the
subsequent coronation will become formal national holidays,
each with an estimated economic hit to GDP of between £1.2 and £6
billion as banks and the stock markets close, to say
nothing of organisational costs.

But to focus on the financial disruption doesn't begin to
describe the sheer magnitude of it. It will be an event unlike
anything Britain has ever seen before. There will be trivial
disruptions — the BBC will cancel all comedy shows, for example —
and jarring cultural changes. Prince Charles may change his name,
for instance, and the words of the national anthem will be
changed, too.

The deaths of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother both brought on
waves of public mourning and hysteria. But the Queen, due to her
longevity and fundamental place atop British society, will be on
a whole new level above that.

The vast majority of British people have simply never known life
without the Queen.

It will be a strange, uncertain time.

Stefano
Pozzebon/Business Insider

The early hours

Much depends on the manner of the Queen's passing. If it's
expected (from a long illness, say), then detailed plans will
have been put in place for handling it and making the
announcement. These plans are already being made: Inside
Buckingham Palace, arrangements for after the Queen's passing and
the subsequent succession
are known as the "Bridge."But if it's sudden, unexpected, or
even in public — as was the case with Princess Diana's death in
1997 — then the news will get out immediately, in an unplanned,
uncontrolled fashion.

Either way, the majority of staff at the Palace and associated
institutions will be immediately sent home. The Royal Court has a
staff hotline for distributing news and instructions to employees
in the event of occasions like this. (Many of the details in this
story were provided to Business Insider by a former staff member
of the Palace.)

Assuming the Queen's passing was expected, the news will spread
at first via the main TV channels. All BBC channels will stop
their programming and show the BBC1 feed for the announcement.
The other independent channels won't be obligated to interrupt
their regular programming. But they almost certainly will.

This is how the BBC initially announced the death of the
Queen Mother in 2002:

At the BBC, anchors actively practice for the eventuality of the
Monarch's passing so they won't be caught unaware on their
shifts. The BBC's Peter Sissons was heavily criticised
for wearing a red tie to announce the Queen Mother's passing
(as seen above), and the BBC now keeps black ties and suits at
the ready at all times. Presenters also run drills in which
they're required to make sudden "spoof" announcements that are
never broadcast.

All comedy will be cancelled

The last death of a Monarch was in 1952, and the BBC stopped all
comedy for a set period of mourning after the announcement was
made.
The Daily Mail reports that the BBC plans to do the same
again today, cancelling all comedy until after the funeral.

CNN has pre-recorded "packages" on the Queen's life ready to be
aired at a moment's notice, we're told — and so will every other
major news channel.

Some businesses may choose to close if the announcement happens
during working hours. The protocols government bodies will
follow will emanate from the Department of Culture, Media and
Sport (though they may also originate from the Palace). But the
immediate government response beyond official statements of
condolences will be hard to predict, the former palace employee
we spoke to said. The last monarch died in 1952; procedures that
seemed apt then may be woefully antiquated today.

Whatever happens formally, the shock on the day of the Queen's
passing will see Britain effectively cease to function. The day
of the funeral, around two weeks later, will be declared a bank
holiday, but "shell-shocked" mourning will continue throughout
this time.

A brief resurrection of the British Empire

The Union Jack flies at half-mast over the Foreign
& Commonwealth Office in London.Carl Court/Getty Images

Given the Queen's international significance, it will almost
certainly be the top news story across the entire world. It will
trend globally on social media. After all, Britain has a massive
overseas presence — not just via its embassies, but also former
colonies and the Commonwealth, which swears loyalty to the crown,
and more informally in any country where English is spoken. The
British Empire once covered a quarter of the earth's landmass and
for a brief, surreal period it will feel as if the Empire still
exists, as all its former subjects will turn toward Britain for
the news.

A former ambassador we spoke to said what will happen overseas
depends on the manner of the Queen's passing. If it has been
long-expected, there will be detailed plans and procedures in
place. If it's sudden, overseas posts will look to the Foreign
Office for urgent guidance.

A few things will definitely happen overseas: Social functions
will be cancelled. The Union Jack flag will be flown at half-mast
until after the funeral (this will also happen at home in the
UK). Officials will enter a period of mourning, and dress
appropriately. Condolence books will be prepared for visitors to
leave messages in.

But the ambassador also stressed there is a massive amount of
uncertainty as to what will actually happen. It has been more
than 60 years since the last monarch died. Society has changed a
huge amount in that time.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. What will happen inside the
Palace?

Behind closed doors at the Palace

Once the majority of the staff are out the way and the public
tourist attractions are closed, an Accession Council will be held
at St. James's Palace to declare the successor formally — Prince
Charles, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The Accession
Council will be attended by Privy Councillors, Lords, the Lord
Mayor of the City of London, and High Commissioners of certain
Commonwealth countries, amongst others.

This council is not required to make Queen Elizabeth II's
successor "official" however — Charles will become the monarch
from the moment of her passing. There is never not a
Sovereign on the throne. This is also why the the Royal Standard
is never flown at half-mast (unlike the Union Jack).

Charles could change his name

The Royal Standard, as
flown in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and overseas (a
variant is employed in Scotland).Barryop/Wikimedia
Commons

This would cause a constitutional crisis, and definitely will not
happen. Prince William himself has said there is "no question" of
it happening. Instead, Prince William will become the new Prince
of Wales — Charles' current role.

At the council, the new Monarch (presumably Charles) will swear
loyalty to Parliament, and to the Church of England. He will also
become the new Supreme Governor of the church. (Catholics cannot
ascend to the throne.) The council will also make a "Proclamation
of Accession."

This was the most recent Proclamation, from when Queen Elizabeth
II ascended to the throne:

Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His Mercy our late
Sovereign Lord King George the Sixth of Blessed and Glorious
memory, by whose Decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come
to the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary:

WE, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm,
being here assisted with these His late Majesty's Privy Council,
with representatives of other Members of the Commonwealth, with
other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor,
Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby with one voice
and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proclaim that the
High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is now, by the
death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become Queen
Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and
of all Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the
Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom Her lieges do
acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with hearty and
humble Affection, beseeching God by whom Kings and Queens do
reign, to bless the Royal Princess Elizabeth the Second with long
and happy Years to reign over us.

Charles won't necessarily become "King Charles," however. Upon
ascending to the Throne, royals may pick their "regnal" name from
any of their Christian or middle names.
Arthur Bousfield and Gary Toffoli write that when Queen
Elizabeth II was asked, she opted for "my own of course — what
else?" But if Prince Charles felt inclined to change, as Charles
Philip Arthur George, he could also be "King Philip," "King
Arthur," or "King George."

The Queen will lie in state

As these discussions are ongoing, the Queen's coffin will be
prepared to lie in state — that is, to be presented for public
viewing so people can pay their respects.

Before this, however, both Houses of Parliament will sit, or be
recalled if necessary. Members will have the opportunity to take
a new oath of allegiance to the new Monarch. All MPs must swear
allegiance to the present Monarch —
though some republican MPs will cross their fingers when making
the 500-year-old oath. Members of both houses will also
present addresses of condolences and loyalty to the new
Sovereign, a House of Lords spokesperson told me, in a format
that is yet to be determined.

After this, both Houses will be suspended until after the
official State Funeral.

The Queen's body will lie in state in Westminster Hall. There
will be a short ceremony to mark the coffin's arrival, after
which the public will be able to file past and pay their
respects. The Hall will be open all but a single hour a day for
the duration, the spokesperson says.

When the Queen Mother lay in state for three days, her grieving
grandsons relieve the official guard to stand guard over the
coffin for a short period; it was called the Vigil of the
Princes. Something similar happened for George V. While not a
formal ceremony, it's likely a similar act of remembrance would
be accorded to Queen Elizabeth II. More than 200,000 members of
the public paid their respects as the Queen Mother lay in state;
the scale of mourning for the Queen should easily eclipse this.

Here's footage of the Queen Mother's coffin lying in
state:

Throughout this period, there will be a massive, hysterical
outpouring of public grief. It won't just be sombre dress and a
minute of silence at sports games — it'll be a punch to the gut
of the national psyche. When Princess Diana died, the public
turned out in their tens of thousands to lay flowers outside
Buckingham Palace —
by some estimates as many as 1 million bouquets were left.

A memorial appeal raised £20 million. People queued for ten hours
or more to sign memorial books. "Everything closed, saturation TV
coverage, no one at work" on the day of the funeral,
recounted one witness to the BBC (despite it not being a
national holiday). There were "scenes of unbelievable grief,"
said another: "It was as though all of these people had lost
someone incredible dear to them and their emotion was genuine. It
worried me hugely — especially after days of mounting hysteria on
the streets of Kensington, people walking into the road blinded
by tears, etc. — people appeared to be losing their grip on
reality."
The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland writes that many Britons
felt "forced to close their shops or cancel sporting events on
the day of the funeral, lest they feel the rage of the
tear-stained hordes outside."

Given the Queen's stature, and how intrinsically she is woven
into the fabric of modern Britain, it's likely there will be even
greater public mourning for her passing.

It will probably be the best-attended funeral of all time. World
leaders from across the globe will flock to attend. She's one of
the most senior heads of state in the world, second only to King
Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who has ruled for five more years
than her.

On the day of Princess Diana's funeral, "more than a million
people lined the route of the funeral cortege,"
according to the BBC, with 30 million Brits tuning in to
watch it. Worldwide, there were as many as 2.5 billion
viewers.

The service will be led by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of
Canterbury and the second-most senior figure in the Church of
England (after the Monarch).

The Queen's final resting place

Once the funeral is concluded, it'll be time for the burial.
Queen Elizabeth II may well have already decided this — in which
case it could either be Sandringham or Balmoral in Scotland.
These two properties are unique in that they belong to the Queen
in a personal capacity, rather than to the crown.

Alternately, she could be buried at St. George's Chapel at
Windsor, the site of the grave of King George VI — her father.

After a certain appropriate period of mourning — up to a year or
so — there will be a coronation. It's a highly ceremonial affair,
although the new monarch technically has the ability to do
whatever he wants — after all, he is already the King. Charles'
authority as sovereign does not derive from the ceremony, so he
could choose to eschew it altogether, should he desire.

But assuming Charles does not wish to totally break with
tradition, it will — again — be held at Westminster Abbey. And,
again, it will be officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The entire event will be broadcast on television (and also
streamed online), and there will be parties up and down the
country. After the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine
Middleton in 2011, there were thousands of street parties
celebrating. The same will be true of the coronation. As a
national holiday,
the Royal Wedding in 2011 lost the economy between £1.2 and 6
billion, and the Coronation will be similar — in addition to
the direct cost to the taxpayer of holding the largest British
ceremonial event since the 1950s.

Decorations along Victoria Street in London, ahead of the
1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II:

Ben
Brooksbank/Wikimedia Commons

The little things

The Queen buried, a new King on the throne... is that it? Of
course not.

There will be hundreds of changes taking place up and down the
country in the weeks and months ahead.

First off, new currency will begin being printed and minted
immediately. The portraits of Charles will already have been made
in preparation. They won't seek to replace the entire stock of
currency overnight, however — it will take several years to do
so, much like how older notes and coins are gradually removed
from circulation today.

Of course, the national
anthem, "God Save The Queen," would change too. Here's Dame Julie
Andrews singing "God Save The King" for George VI in
1948.

Even Trafalgar Square will change

Another change: Police will need new insignia on their helmets.
They currently display the Queen's initials and regnal number.
Likewise, a great deal of military insignia will require
updating.

Passports too will need a refresh. The British passport currently
"requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom
it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or
hindrance." Stamps will also need updating so that they show the
new King's head rather than the Queen's.

These changes matter more than you would expect. After the
current Queen was crowned, her regnal number — II — caused
controversy in Scotland, which she also rules, as there was never
a Scottish Elizabeth I. When postboxes bearing her cypher were
erected in Scotland, some were attacked and vandalised.

As signs of the Queen's reign are slowly erased, she will also be
memorialised. The fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square is currently
dedicated to temporary statues and works of art, but former
London Mayor Ken Livingstone
says his understanding is that "the fourth plinth is being
reserved for Queen Elizabeth II."

It may end the Commonwealth

Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbott is a Monarchist.Daniel
Kalisz/Getty Images

The Queen's passing may have far more profound and long-lasting
consequences than just new postage stamps, however. It may well
spell the end of the Commonwealth as we know it.

The 53-country organisation includes 16 countries where the
British Monarch is officially the Head of State, including
Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Barbados. It's a
remnant of the British Empire which today exists mainly as a
trade and political organisation. It has few formal powers but
carries the weight of symbolism: Many of these countries were
part of the Empire against their will, and almost all of them
declared independence long ago.

With Queen Elizabeth II out of the way, some may choose to end
this union with Britain once and for all.

Australia, for example, has already held a referendum on becoming
a Republic once before, in 1999. It was a relatively close-run
thing, with the republicans ultimately losing 45% to 55%. But
much support for the Monarchy arguably derives from personal
affection for the Queen herself. With her gone, many Commonwealth
nations may decide the time has come to separate.

This also depends on the time of the Queen's death. Australian
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper are both staunch Monarchists, and certain to try and block
any attempt at Republicanism on their watch. But if the Queen's
passing comes later, after they have left office, resurgent
republicanism may find a more receptive audience.

But right now this is all academic — and hopefully a long way off
yet. On September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II will break the
record set by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother: She'll
be the longest-reigning British monarch ever!